Information security, sometimes shortened to InfoSec, is the practice of protecting information by mitigating information risks. It is part of information risk management and involves the protection of information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, inspection, recording, or destruction. Information security is a multidisciplinary area of study and professional activity that is concerned with the development and implementation of security mechanisms of all available types (technical, organizational, human-oriented, and legal) in order to keep information in all its locations (within and outside the organizations perimeter) and, consequently, information systems, where information is created, processed, stored, transmitted, and destroyed, free from threats.
Key capabilities of information security include physical and environmental security, access control, and cybersecurity. It often includes technologies like cloud access security brokers (CASB), deception tools, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and security testing for DevOps (DevSecOps), among others. Effective information security requires a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach, involving people, processes, and technology. At the core of information security is information assurance, the act of maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) of information, ensuring that information is not compromised in any way when critical issues arise.
Information security is necessary to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information, whether it is stored digitally or in other forms such as paper documents. We use information security to protect valuable information assets from a wide range of threats, including theft, espionage, and cybercrime. Information security helps ensure that critical business functions can continue to operate without interruption.
